1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to apparatus used to dispense spools of wire and, more particularly, to a wire dispenser adapted for use with a vehicle receiver hitch.
Devices to dispense wire are known. Typically they are trailer towed devices. Certain other types are held by hand or require permanent attachment to a vehicle.
In general these devices are either fairly expensive to manufacture, difficult to use, or are not capable of dispensing different types of spools, or are not capable of dispensing a plurality of spools of wire simultaneously.
For example a very common type of fence wire is usually referred to as "barbed wire". To effectively contain livestock a multiple number of parallel runs of barbed wire are often installed at a predetermined spaced apart relationship from fence post to fence post for as long an overall distance as is the perimeter of the area to be fenced. Often three or four such parallel runs of barbed wire are used along the length of the perimeter of the area.
A single strand of barbed wire can be installed the length of the perimeter and then the process can be repeated as many times as is necessary for each parallel run that is required. However it is preferred to be able to install a plurality of parallel runs of barbed wire simultaneously. Accordingly, if only one traversing along the perimeter can result in the dispensing of two, three, or even four parallel runs of wire, a savings of both time and effort will result.
The need to dispense wire also applies to various types of wires used for fencing and the like that do not contain barbs. The need to dispense spooled wire includes dispensing single strands of wire and also dispensing woven wire. Woven wire is available in a spool as having various widths and lengths and is often used to fence in areas to contain smaller animals, such as dogs or other types of livestock.
As receiver hitches are in common use, a spooled wire dispenser that is adapted for use with a receiver hitch can readily be used with many vehicles. This eliminates the expense that is associated with the use of a tow dolly to support and to transport the dispenser.
Accordingly there exists today a need for a spooled wire dispenser that is adapted for use with a receiver hitch of a vehicle and is also adaptable for use with a variety of types of spools of wire.
2. Description of Prior Art
Wire dispensers are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,877 to Vaughn, Jul. 28, 1959;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,341 to Brown, Dec. 5, 1967;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,414 to Bank et al, Feb. 10, 1976;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,793 to Walker, Jul. 6, 1976;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,187 to Snyder, Aug. 16, 1977;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,737 to Sigle et al, Aug. 27, 1991; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,243 to Sigle et al, Oct. 27, 1992.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.